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When the City of Grand Marais announced it was going to remove the animal shelter to create a new boat launch and expand the parking at the boat launch (which is now completed), Arrowhead Animal Recuse (AAR) agreed to raise funds to build a new shelter with the caveat that the city provides land for the shelter and the city and county each contribute $25,000 in working capital.
Both the city and county agreed to the proposal but settling on a location for the new shelter needed to be determined. At least, that was the thought of many in the room. That said, a lot in the EDA Business Park was found suitable and seemed to have been promised as the site for the new animal shelter. However, Counselor Anton Moody said the land is wet and can’t be used for much more than erecting a small 720-square-foot building like the one proposed by AAR.
With Mayor Jay Decoux not in attendance, councilor Craig Schulte ran the meeting.
Two representatives of the AAR board and Sheriff Pat Elisasen came before the council.
To date, the AAR board has raised $55,000, finished the building plans, and has a proposed budget for the pound. But a complete budget can’t be done until costs for plumbing, electricity, and cement pad are known.
Eliasen said an animal shelter is necessary because when an animal bites someone, it must be quarantined in a shelter by state statute. He added that when someone is hurt and hospitalized or has to go into the care center for an extended period, his office tries to find a family member or community member to take in that person’s pet. However, if no one can be found, the animal has to be sheltered.
Counselor Tracy Benson said she thought the city should take care of seeing that the shelter is built and not lay that onus on AAR, a volunteer group.
Counselor Anton Moody agreed. “It’s a service the city is supposed to provide, so why are we asking a nonprofit to pay for the construction of it?”
EDA Director Beth Drost was at the meeting. She said the EDA owns the lot, but once lots are sold in the business park, the proceeds go to the city.
Next, there was talk about forming a joint powers agreement between the city and county to establish the shelter, but once again, Moody, exasperated, spoke up.
“This is the simplest thing of all things we do,” noting the city and county share snowplowing without a joint powers’ agreement and other working activities. “We shouldn’t need an 88-page agreement to do this,” he exclaimed.
“The contract the sheriff has with the city, can that be the joint powers agreement?” asked Sheriff Eliasen.
“We had a shelter before; this is just an extension of that,” noted Counselor Schulte.
City public relations director Patrick Knight pulled out a document that said the lot in the business park was already promised to the AAR.
Anton, who is also on the EDA board, agreed to go back before the EDA board with a resolution to make sure the lot title is cleared up and the animal shelter can be built there. “We had a pound in the first place because we have an ordinance” requiring the city to have a pound, said Moody.
Benson said the city is responsible for the project’s ownership and fiduciary side. AAR volunteers can run the shelter, but the city should take care of paying operating costs.
Plans are to build the shelter in the spring.
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